Captain White sticks ground hopping adventures

the sun is shining, the ale is flowing,   the sound of leather on willow is echoing, and all is well   with the world.    welcome to amesbury avenue, for my first cricket of 2025. 1st round waddilove cup action. knock out cup for teams in the aire wharfe league. thackley currently 90 for 3 after 20 of an allotted 45 overs vs skipton.  both teams ply their trade in division 3 of this league.    mid innings break at amesbury lane, and thackley rack up an impressive 347 for 7 off 45 overs. skipton requiring a run rate of 7,5 to chase this one down. thackley were 80 for 3, but that was as good as it got for skiptom, before a 132 run 4th wicket partnership between robbie williams who departed for 51. 100 runs later followed overseas pro from brisbane nick burford, 176 with 22 4s and 9 6s. 3 for 51 best of the bowlers.   skipton already 7 for 1 off 3 overs.  result from amesbury Avenue,  and thackley through to the next round with a resoun...

 at gorse lane, home of grantham cc for day 2 of this minor counties eastern division clash between lincolnshire and northumberland.  lincs are 2nd after 3 games, 16 points behind leaders staffordshire with suffolk a point back in 3rd.  northumberland are struddling and are 2nd from bottom.  i arrive with northumberland on 153 for 6  in reply to lincs 370 for 5 declared, in which jack timby top scored with 124, danniel freeman weighing in with 110.  karl wilson 59 and joseph kendal 41. to give you some background, the minor counties championship has an eastern and western division, both have ten teams, with the winner of each division playing off to decide the championship.  matches are 3 day affairs but 120 overs is bowled, and an innings can only last 90 overs.  phil mustard is donning the gloves for northumberland. each team however only plays 6 games due to the to work conmitments of the players stumps here at gorse lane and its all set for a ...

 at  penpole lane, for w e p l bristol and north somerset division mid table clash between twyford house, 5th vs brizlington, one point above them in 4th.  promotion looks beyond the realms of possibility for both, as run away leaders winterbourne are 23 points clear at the summit.  shire hampton vs nailsea is going on  just across the way, so a chance of a cricket double header today in the bristol sunshine.  twyford batting first. opponents brizlington are celebrating their 150th year in existance this year, and there are many events going on at iron mold lane to to commemorate this fabulous achievement.  somerset have played at briz's ground twice and were featured in a televised john player league sunday game in 1970 vs yorkshire.

 at a bright and breezy bradford road, for this bradford league 2nd division clash between wrenthorpe, 2nd, vs gommersall, 6th.  a mere 24 points separate the top 3 of undercliffe, the hosts, and morley.  wrenthorpe have adjusted well to life in the bradford league following  the competition's restructure 2 years ago which saw the them transfer from the now defunked central yorkshire cricket league, whilst gomersall sit in the classic mid table comfort zone.  home team batting first following a delayed start on a quirky characterful ground close to wakefield.  on a green top, this could be an exciting low scoring and close encounter. at the half way stage here at bragg lane, rather than bradford road, and wrenthorpe close on 199 for 4.  they were 27 for 3, but a tremendous partnership between numbers 4 and 5 who scored 77 and 68 respectively prepelled them to a respectable score .      their innings had a  one and a half hour's brea...

 at Sandhill Lane. Sutton on Derwent, 8 miles east of York. k3 dental cup action. Woodhouse Grange vs Scarborough. this is the combined club knock out comp for teams in the ecb yorkshire premier leagues north and south respectively. home side 4 times national village cup champions. scarborough also one and of the  more successful teams at this level too. a cool and cloudy day. conditions more like mid april rather than Mid June. Yesterday's result from Sandhill Lane. and Scarborough squeak through to the next round of the viking cup by 10 runs. Batting first, they  mustered a seemingly below parr 196 for 7, off a reduced 38 overs.  Top scorers for the Seasiders were Matthew Turnbull, 56, and Clarke Dougney, 55 not out.  The latter rescuing the Seasiders to some degree, with an unbroken 8th wicket partnership of 45 at the end of the innings. Tom Neil, three for 53 being the best of the woodhouse grange bowlers. but when it was their turn to  bat, they slid f...

 at lords, the undisputed home of english cricket, for the last ever domestic 50 over competition at this ground.  where last year's defending champions, hampshire take on those perennial 2nd placed finishers from somerset.  hants will be aiming to defend their title they won against kent last season, and disposed of lancashire in the semi finals, whilst the cidermen their a convincing win over notts.  i'm in a stand full of supporters from the west country, and the cider is already flowing, and its just after 11 am.  so an entertaining day in the offing.  somerset at full strength, but hants missing james vince and liam dawson who have been called up to the england world cup squad.  nevertheless, hants still slight favourites due to their strong batting line up.  always a special feeling when one comes to the home of cricket. what ever the ocasion. all over at lords, and and somerset finally win their first long awaited trophy since 2005 with a 6...